Logically, Jones was demoted because of his performance. New York’s offense ranks dead last in scoring at 15.6 points per game, and after a brief run of relative success, Jones has been generally ineffective in recent games, throwing two interceptions in a Week 10 overtime loss to Carolina in Munich, Germany.
The financial element also played a significant factor. While Jones’ salary and bonuses were fully guaranteed in 2023 and 2024, $23 million of his salary was guaranteed only for injury in 2025. If the Giants were going to move on from Jones at the end of this season, they had to eliminate the risk of injury, leading to his fall from the top to the bottom of the depth chart.
Jones didn’t need to ask to be released, but after attracting plenty of attention for his diminished role in practice Thursday — leading to his classy post-practice statement — Jones decided it was best to depart and determine where he might next play football in the NFL. The decision closes the book on a tenure that saw Jones struggle in his first few years before Daboll arrived in 2022. Under Daboll, Jones helped the Giants reach the playoffs and earn a surprise postseason win over the Vikings in their first season together, convincing New York to hand Jones the extension that eventually contributed to his departure.
In the next two seasons, however, Jones and Daboll couldn’t replicate their magical success, making Jones’ $160 million extension look increasingly worse with each passing week. They reached a new low in their loss to the Panthers, prompting Daboll to bench Jones in what certainly seemed like a final decision on the quarterback’s future in New York.
“We had a really good talk, Daniel and I,” Daboll said Friday. “Got a lot of respect for him. Again, not the way we wanted it to turn out by any stretch, but he’s been nothing but a pro since I’ve been here with him. He’s a great young man.”
Daboll added that he announced Jones’ release to the team ahead of Friday’s walkthrough for New York’s Week 12 game against Tampa Bay.
“I let them know,” the Giants coach. “I wanted them to hear it.”